Ben Miller met the love of his life the day he crossed paths with Elle James in their high school cafeteria. New to Beaumont, he took a chance when he approached her. Their first encounter was everything his mother ever read to him about fairy tales. He saw the girl who would be his forever.

From the moment Elle James met Ben Miller they’ve been best friends. Everything they did, they did it together, from late night study sessions, family vacations, throwing bottles off the water tower, going to prom and finally moving to California for college.

However, after the almost tragic accident where she nearly lost her twin sister, Elle’s life hasn’t been the same, and neither has her relationship with Ben.

One fateful decision changes the scope of Ben and Elle’s relationship. For one, it means a new beginning. For the other, it means change.

EXCERPT

With Ben on my mind, I make my way over to the café where he has work-study. When he first got this job, I teased him only because he went from working at Whimsicality to the Java Spot, and had a slew of other jobs he could’ve applied for. He said working here made sense, it’s what he knew and could easily do the job without much training. He was right, and this quickly became our hangout, except right now he’s not here when he should be.

“Hey, Tim. Do you know where Ben is?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, he’s not on the schedule today.”

Odd. I smile. “Okay, thanks.” It doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t be here. He’s always working at this time, but maybe he had a final scheduled. I pull out my phone and send him a text, and then scroll through the barely answered messages. When he does answer, it’s one word, and usually, it’s a yes or no, which is vastly different from a few weeks ago.

I try not to let it bother me as I head back home. Traffic is light, and when I get there, Peyton and Quinn are in the midst of a heated battle over whatever video game they’re playing. They don’t acknowledge me, and that’s okay. This is something they share, although if you look at Quinn, you’d think he wouldn’t be a sports fan. However, this is where his friendship with Noah comes into play. And probably Quinn’s love for Peyton. While they bond over video games and sports, Quinn and I have our music. Well, more his than mine. I’m the least musically inclined one of the bunch, even though I can play the guitar.

“Let me know when it’s safe to walk in front of the television.” I stand there, waiting. I’ve been on the receiving end a time or two, getting yelled at because I walked in front of the TV at the wrong time. Over the years, I’ve learned to wait.

“You’re clear,” Quinn says. Instead of passing by, I drop my bag and take the spot in between them. Both lean toward me as if they know I need their comfort, but neither wanting to bring attention to the fact.

“Who’s winning?”

“I am,” Peyton says.

“She cheats.”

Peyton throws her hands up in the air. “How, Quinn? We’re playing on a console. It’s impossible to cheat.”

I look at Quinn, who shrugs. The game starts back up, and it’s easy to tell who Peyton is. I start to laugh as she controls her future husband on the screen and when things don’t go her way, she yells at him, almost as if he could hear her.

“Poor Noah. He’s not even here to defend himself,” I direct at Peyton. She rolls her eyes and continues her onslaught of Quinn, while I sit there, sandwiched in between my siblings.

When the game is over, Peyton jumps up and does a little cheer before sticking her hand out. “Pay up.”

“You made a bet with her?” I look at Quinn.

“I’ve been practicing,” he laments.

I point at Peyton. “And you don’t think she has? Geesh, Quinn, she lives with a quarterback. I’m sure they play all the time.”

“Noah loses too.” Peyton is very nonchalant about beating Noah as she pockets the money from Quinn. “Go grab your stuff, Quinn will take us to the airport.”

The beauty of having a private jet at our disposal is we don’t have to book tickets. Our dad works with the pilot to file the flight plan, and the pilot tells us when to be at the landing strip. Last night, I packed everything I would need, which isn’t much, and rush off to my room to grab my bag.

Peyton and Quinn are waiting for me, ready to leave. Outside, I stare at Ben’s door, wondering if I should text him one more time or wait for him to respond. Maybe I need to step back and give him some space, even if it hurts me.

The drive to the airport takes longer than anticipated because of traffic, the only thing I hate about this area. You have to time your departure right, or you could get stuck for hours, all because someone put on their brakes at the wrong time.

When we finally arrive, we tell Quinn to have a fun week without us and thank him for dropping us off. The desk agent is laughing at us when we enter the facility. She tells us the pilot’s waiting and to have a fun trip. The both of us run to the plane and climb the stairs. I come to a complete halt even with Peyton crashing into me.

“What gives,” she says. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” There are red and white roses spread everywhere and a bottle of champagne on the table. “You’re so lucky.”

“It’s our first time really apart like this,” Peyton says. I’m not even sure they’re from Noah, but who else would do this.

“What about during the season?”

“He’s home a couple of days a week, and I fly to him on Fridays.”

“I see.” Somehow, I knew this, but it didn’t really register. Peyton and I sit across from each other and buckle up. Our flight attendant has notified the pilot that we’re on board and ready and before I know it, we’re off the ground and soaring toward paradise.

The stewardess pops the cork on the champagne for us and pours us each a glass. “Thank you,” we both tell her. I reach across the table and tap my glass to my sister’s. “Here’s to a week of sun, sand, and whatever else we may do.”

“Like plan my wedding, talk about boys and eat our way through Aruba.”

I’m all for two of the three options she said, but talking about boys is something I don’t want to do. As I look around the cabin, I realize Peyton is living most girls’ fairy tales. I mean, what guy thinks about sending flowers ahead to decorate the inside of a plane? Noah does because he’s crazy in love with my sister. I’m happy for her, beyond happy actually, but jealous all the same. I want what they have. I want the all-consuming type of love where we each know what the other is thinking or where we may be in a room full of people.

“I want what you and Noah have.”

“What do you mean?” Peyton asks. I realize I hadn’t meant to say that aloud, but now that I have, Peyton’s looking at me expectantly.

“I want a guy who looks at me the way Noah looks at you. I want this”—I spread my arms out—“I want to walk in a room and search the crowd, only to feel my man coming behind me and when he touches me I know… I just know.”

“You have all that.”

“Pfft, with whom? I’ve never dated seriously since we were allowed to date. It’s not like my knight in shining armor is someone I know.”

“But he is,” she says.

“Who are you talking about?”

“Ben, of course.”

About Heidi

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer and The Archers. Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup and a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot.

When she’s isn’t writing one of the many stories planned for release, you’ll find her sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games.